Ratings for PyeongChang Opening Ceremony increase from Rio

The PyeongChang Olympics Opening Ceremony on NBC snagged an average of 28.3 million viewers on Friday night, the most viewers for a Friday night program since the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the network said on Saturday.

Though the 28.3 million figure was down from Sochi four years ago (31.7), it represented a six percent viewership increase from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics Opening Ceremony. Viewership numbers peaked at 31.5 million when Team USA entered the stadium between 9:00-9:15 p.m. ET, per Nielsen.

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A young performer participates in the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, Pool)

“The Opening Ceremony was a terrific show, which we hope will only be topped by the excitement generated by the athletes and competition over the next few weeks,” said Mark Lazarus, Chairman of NBC Broadcasting and Sports. “American audiences continue to be interested and excited for the Games, and the early consumption results show that our multiple platform strategy is dominating the media landscape.”

The 28.3 million trailed just Sochi and the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics (33.7 million) for most viewers of a non-live Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony.